St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-09-10
THE BREAKING DAY.
A LONG NIGHT OF POLYGAMY IN
THE WESTERN BASIN.
Power and Influence of the Church Before
the Edmunds Law Was Passed-Benefi-
ciaI Results of its Enforcement-The
Ironclad Oath-Education and Politics.

the Edmunds Law Was Passed-Benefi
cial Results of it's Enforcement-Tht
Ironclad Oath-Education and Politics.
After a gloomy and tempestuous nigh,
of forty years the signs increase on every
hand of dawn approaching to the Sail
Lake region. The coming of day was
really assured when in 1862 Fedora
troops occupied permanent quarters in
Fort Douglas, when few years later the
mines were opened and the Pacific
railroad was finished, and when in the
same eventful decade an enthusiastic
troop of ministers and teachers in every
considerable settlement began to lay the
foundations for better things. But the
five years last past have witnessed far
more solid progress than any twenty that
went before, and the march of regcnerat-
ing forces during the current months IS
rapid beyond precedent.
AS is we'll known, the nation, for a
whole generation fully occupied with
civil war anu TcCOnSlIuCllOu, W DIS
in no condition to grapple with the Sc
rious problem existing in the remote Great
Basin. Even Mr. Lincoln was content
to promise, If Brigham Young will let
me alone, l will let him alone" But in
1882, by the operation of the Edmunds
law, the polygamist Cannon was refused
a seat in Congress, and, with some $4,000
others, including nearly every man Of
note, was disfranchised. Thus at a
single stroke these hierarchs who, since
1S47, had held every office in the
Territory yielding either honor, in
f1uence or salary, were unceremoniously
relegated to enduring political obscuritv
and pOWerlessness, soon after were further
compelled to flee to the dismal under
ground which ever since has been their
abode, while not less than 300 have had
bitter taste of fines and prison fare.
Probably the best result of the calm but
resistless enforcement of the Edmunds
law is found in the evidence furnished
to the Utah saints, long overprone to
be a law unto themselves, that the gov
eminent is at last resolved that, cost
what it may, polygamy shall go, and with
it church political rule. Once thor
oughly convinced of this fact, faith and
patience will ere long begin to fail.
Further warning of the same cogent
sort was furnished by Congress last
winter by the abolition of female suf-
frage, and the imposition of an ironclad
oath which numbers of the more fanati-
cal friends of plurality" could not en-
dure. In addition, by the same Edmunds-
Tucker law, the Territory was redistricted
for voting purposes that the Mormon
gerrymander of long standing might
give place to a division enabling the
Gentle population to WELD its fail share
of influence at the polls. AS result of
all this, at the election held August l,
five non-Mormon members were chosen
to the Legislature, two of them
to the upper house, while in several
other districts similar results are within
reach. Therefore, in the future no laws
hostile to American ideas and institu
tons can be passed without at least pre-
vious free and full discussion. The be-
ginning of redemption has also come,
and from the same causes, to the public
school system. Hitherto education, like
politics, in Utah has been manipu-
lated by the priesthood. The school
house and the meeting house are com
monty one and the same building, and
so thoroughly impregnated with strong
flavor of Joseph Smith and the Book
of Mormon that no Gentle can en-
dure the atmosphere The bishop, Of
ten an ignoramus, is er-0ficto the educa-
if not in good ecclesiastical standing
into the church Golfers. For years John
OF schools, and drew his salary from the
Federal treasury. But now the schools
are largely delivered from the hands of
the hierarchy. The present superin-
tendent is a prominent lawyer, who is
hard at work introducing Eastern ideas
and methods. And at the recent school
elections between dozen and score of
districts elected non-Mormon trustees
When to these startling revolutions we
add the fact that about eighty Christian
schools and academies have been estab
lished in the Territory, with nearly $50
no WOuueI IL appears 10 luc
theocracy like the very crack of doom.
The latest form Of assault takes the
shape of suit in the Supreme Court to
annul the incorporation of the Emf gra-
ton Fund Society and of the Mormon
Church itself, and to turn over TO the
school fund of the Territory assets il,
legally held, and amounting, as is al
legged, to not less than 100000. Thus
beset on every side, no faintest hope of
relief appears save in the direction of
statehood, and at that straw the
drowning leaders clutch. To Sc
cure this boon they are even willing to
promise to prohibit polygamy, as being
incompatible with republican form of
government |" Having every office, from
governor down, filled with the faithful,
how could polygamy be punished? And a
single neat clause of the proposed con-
which declares that the State
shall not interfere with religion, is roomy
enough to hold more Greeks than ever
lay concealed in the belly of the famous
wooden horse that wrought such mis-
chief to ancient Troy. For what is polyg-
amy but part and parcel of the Utah re-
igion
And finally, in this same evil time, this
lay of dire calamity, John Taylor, for
Ten years prophet, seer, and revelator,"